Rosebugs
by thegoatromantic
Summary: It's a hot summer day when Toni is caught watching someone from a bush. But who is it, and what does he want with them? TonixHina Time-progression


Author's Note: I love these games, with a passion, and Toni was always my little buddy when I played. I... I imagine myself interacting with the villagers when I run around and talk to them, and it so happened that he was like my little brother. Anyway, when Hina moved in I automatically thought of the mischievous little boy falling head over heels for the dainty little Hina, who was his foil. And thus this story was born. Neither of these characters belong to me, but the story is all mine. Enjoy!

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Rosebugs

Harvest Moon: A New Beginning

Toni x Hina

Toni sneezed, the bushes he was currently hiding in tickling his nose as they rustled in the gentle wind. He tried to stifle it, quickly pressing his arm to his face to muffle the noise, but to no avail; the girl he was watching turned around, her light blonde hair floating lightly in the breeze as she turned toward the sound.

"Is anyone there?" She placed her hand to her brow, looking around concernedly, biting her lip when she saw no one. She cast a nervous glance over her shoulder before she turned and continued her work on the roses in her garden, her body obviously alert now.

Toni sighed, his shoulders slumping comically as Hina resumed her work. He looked at the ground beneath his squatting thighs and settled a place for himself, getting comfortable so he could watch her work for awhile longer. He couldn't exactly explain it, but he loved watching his childhood friend work in her rose garden. The way her gentle hands held the roses and appreciated made him jealous, wishing she would put her hands on him in the same manner. But those were just dreams, as he had realized long ago, because when they were children he had picked on her perhaps one time too many for her to think of him as anything other than her joker best friend. For him, though, she was certainly the girl of his dreams.

It had taken him awhile to realize it, of course, but during the many pranks he had played on her during his boyhood, he realized he loved to pick on her not because she was a girl and therefore had cooties, but because he wanted her attention, wanted her to recognize him and be impressed by him. It had been difficult not to let her know his feelings; he hadn't wanted anything to change between her and him, even though he wanted more from her than friendship. He had contemplated telling her his feelings from time to time, but had always quashed the idea before it grew too bold.

He fingered the ring in his hands, looking down at the soft gold circle as the midday sunlight glinted off of it. It really was hard to stop himself from letting his feelings known sometimes. It really had been an impulse when he had gone to Kohana's general store to purchase the jewelry. She had giggled at him as he hummed and hawed over the bands, not sure which one would be perfect.

_"You know, Hina would love this one. It's got a little sass, but not too much. And the stone inside would compliment her eyes perfectly. I might be an old lady, but I know what I'm talking about." She winked at him, pointing at the ring she thought would work best, then walked away as his face reddened like the roses he associated with Hina._

_"I'-Im not buying it for Hina! I'm just looking at them! A guy has to know what he wants to get for his girl in the future!" _

He had waffled over the rings for another half an hour before finally picking the one the elder woman had suggested, much to his embarrassment. Luckily she hadn't commented, simply rang the purchase up for him, her face set in a knowing smile the entire time. He loved the old woman as if she were his own grandmother, but sometimes she knew too much for her own good.

"Ouch!" Toni screamed, his mind no longer focusing on the memory, jumping up instantly and slapping at his arm, trying to knock the bug loose from it. Leaves and rose petals scattered around him as he leapt from the bushes, scaring Hina from her task, and he began dancing around as she ran over to him, a mixture of anger and concern on her face as she came to him. The bug knocked to the ground, as did the ring in his hand, and he went silent as the clatter of metal upon stone came to his ears. He looked over to Hina, whose eyes were set on the ring slowly spinning to the ground.

"Um…" His voice was barely audible, and his throat suddenly felt parched. He tugged at the collar of his shirt, wondering when it, too, had become unbearably foreign to him, and started inching his way out of the garden. He stopped, his body compelled to stay where it stood, as Hina bent over and picked the ring off the ground. She dusted it off, wiping it on the corner of her sundress and studied it for a moment, then turned to Toni, whose face was sunburnt, or so he would swear for the rest of his life.

She walked to him, her hips swaying as they always did when she walked; she was just too much of a lady for Toni to handle sometimes, and she grabbed his hand. The ribbon in her hair glistened, blinding him for a moment, and he wasn't sure what was happening. His palm was warm, sweating gallons, and he was afraid for her to be disgusted by his nervous bodily reactions. To top it all off, he couldn't see anything, and his sight was definitely important to him right now. Without it, he wouldn't know which way to run away from her in embarrassment.

His heart dropped when she set the ring back in his hand and curled his fingers over it. A million thoughts raced through his head with the action, the foremost being how he should have known better than to try to change things between himself and his best friend. He should have just left things as peaceful as they were and lived out his days in lonely companionship with her. But, no. He had to go and be stupid. He looked to Hina, wondering how disappointed with him she was, but her features were hidden by the bangs that had come loose while she was working.

Her voice was a squeak when it came out of her mouth, just barely audible on the warm, buzzing summer day, but Toni had heard it like she had shouted it at him in the middle of a dead winter night.

"I was wondering when you were finally going to give me one of these." The wind whipped her bangs to the side, allowing him access to her blushing face, allowing him a sight he had seen only rarely in the past few years. He wanted to reach out and touch the glowing pink buds on her face, wanted to hold her tenderly in his arms and kiss her like she deserved to be, but he was afraid. He certainly hadn't expected her to be waiting. Not for him.

"If… if you don't mind," she lifted her hand and spread her dirty fingers out, waiting for him to put the ring on her hand himself. "I'd like it if you would do the honors."

Toni snapped to attention, quickly pulling himself from his little dream world and he juggled the ring, trying to put it on her hand without shaking too badly. He was nervous, more nervous than when he had broken his mother's favorite vase as a child and couldn't hide it. The ring slipped perfectly into place, and as soon as he removed his hand she flew into his body, surprising him. He braced himself, his arms awkwardly hanging at his sides and he raised them slowly, cautiously placing them around her porcelain body. Gaining courage, he tightened his hold on her, squeezing her for dear life, then lifted her and swung around in a circle. He placed her on the ground, laughing, and grabbed her arms, staring into her gray eyes.

"I love you, Hina." He leaned in, his eyes closing farther as he got nearer, and kissed her on the lips, enjoying the novel sensation of the heat of her body against his. His heart thudded painfully against his ribs, his dream finally seen through, and he wondered what the rest of his life was going to be like with his darling little rose.


End file.
